Machshavot HaLev - Yeshivat Lev HaTorah

100
Beshalach
Inspiration and Connection
Jeremy Halpern
T his week’s parsha marks the culmination of םירצמ תאיצי, an escape from the
physical and spiritual oppression with which the Egyptians burdened us. After the
splitting of the sea, the Torah says, “ודבע השמבו ’הב ונימאיו“ (14:31). After witnessing all
ten plagues, culminating in the extraordinarily theatrical splitting of the ףוס םי, Bnei
Yisrael “had faith in Hashem and in Moshe, His servant.” It seems that they now have
complete emunah in Hashem.
This being the case, a troubling question can be asked about Bnei Yisrael regarding
the events following the splitting of the sea. Why is it that after the splitting of the sea
there are a series of complaints that Bnei Yisrael make that seem to show a lack of
emunah? Just three days after leaving the ףוס םי, the people are already complaining
: “התשנ המ רומאל השמ לע םעה ונליו, ” “The people complained against Moshe, saying,
‘What shall we drink?’” (15:24). Hashem responds by sweetening the water of Marah,
demonstrating that He is not forsaking Bnei Yisrael. A few pesukim later, when Bnei
Yisrael arrive at Midbar Sin, they feel threatened by hunger, and complain: “If only
we had died by the hand of Hashem in the land of Egypt, as we sat by the pot of meat,
when we ate bread to satiety, for you have taken us out to this wilderness to kill this
entire congregation by famine” (16:3). Hashem responds by providing them with the
Manna, another proof that not even the desert can hinder G-d’s infinite capacity to
provide for His children.